Critic,from the Greek word kritikos, means “one who can judge and discern” — in short, someone who thinks critically. College will have given you your money’s worth if it leaves you better able to judge and discern — to determine what is more and less important, to make distinctions and recognize differences, to generalize from specifics, to draw conclusions from evidence, to grasp complex concepts, to choose wisely. The effective thinking that you will need in college, on the job, and in daily life is active and purposeful, not passive and ambling. It is critical thinking.